Monday, August 1, 2016

5:19 PM

A super PAC backing Republican Mike Gallagher in the 8th CD is out with a mailer slamming GOP opponent Frank Lasee.

The group also has a lit piece praising Gallagher, while Lasee is out with one that says his opponent was "hand-picked by Washington insiders."

The Lasee piece accuses Gallagher of taking more than $250,000 from "K Street Lobbyists, Investment Bankers, and East Coast special interests." It also says he spent five years as a "DC Insider and he wants to go back" after moving to Green Bay just seven months ago. It also says he is still registered to vote in Washington, D.C. The flip side calls Lasee "a proven conservative fighting for you." The corner includes a picture of Lasee and his wife with Gov. Scott Walker.

One of the Midwest Growth PAC's mailers reads, "We need a Marine to take this hill" with a picture of the nation's Capitol in the background. The flip side features pictures of Gallagher in his dress blues as well as fatigues while urging, "Send conservative Mike Gallagher to Capitol Hill."

The other piece asks, "Have you seen Frank Lasee's 'conservative' values?" The side of the piece has a "missing" poster of Lasee reading, "Last seen in: Racine." It's a reference to previous reports questioning his residency.

The flip side says Lasee: didn't vote in the recall election for Walker, posted an Adolph Hitler quote on his taxpayer-funded website, supported two of the three budgets from Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle and doesn't support federal tax cuts. It reads, "Wisconsin Republicans can't trust Senator Frank Lasee to represent our conservative values in Congress."

According to the FEC's website, Midwest Growth PAC spent $14,000 late last week on a mailer supporting Gallagher and $34,660 on pieces opposing Lasee.

The anti-Lasee mailer includes a link to the site www.theRealFrankLasee.com. That page references a court dispute involving Lasee and a woman over a child born out of wedlock.

Lasee's campaign also has sent several mailers that praise his work on voter ID and tax cuts. One touts his conservative credentials and "a real record of reform." It features a picture of Lasee standing with Walker. A fourth mailer touts his position on immigration.